Chaste Kisses
by A Paper Moon
Summary: A look at various kiss-filled moments between our favorite ninja and the fangirl he tolerated. Themes taken from the LJ Community: Thirty Kisses. Will be updated sporadically. Grazie! :D
1. Because I Care

30 Kisses: Sasuke x Sakura

Title: Because I Care

Author: Sicilian Maiden

Pairing: Sasuke Uchiha/Sakura Haruno

Fandom: Naruto

Theme: #11—gardenia

Rating: PG-13 (minor language and mild violence)

Disclaimer: All characters of Naruto are the property of Masashi Kishimoto; I alleged no possession of said characters. I only request to take them to over-rowdy soccer games and force them to play at gunpoint.

Summary: _Sometimes... he just didn't know why she did the things she did._

_-o-_

Uchiha Sasuke couldn't remember what had happened but he did know one thing—his head felt like it was going to split in half at any given moment.

'_Damn, why do I feel like crap? I remember fighting those shinobi with the dobe, but then... nothing. So where am I?' _The Uchiha sat up abruptly only to recoil and fall back onto the bed he had been laying on. A hiss slipped passed his tightly clenched teeth as he felt his eyes begin to sting at the searing and (quite literally) gut-wrenching pain shooting through his abdomen.

Sasuke furrowed his brow; his mind working at a million miles per hour. His eyes slowly opened to reveal a cream-colored room with off-white curtains. Said curtains were propped wide open allowing the sun's rays to penetrate every corner of the room. The sky was a deep crystal clear blue that echoed the absolutely opposite emotions that the young Uchiha was feeling.

His captivity, as he so aptly put it, smelt of antiseptics and iodine. It was a horribly sterile scent that made the young man shuddered. It just smelt so... so _clean._

The next sense that came into play was his sense of hearing. It sounded a crying—a young girl to be exact. Who would be crying for him? Why was he in this distasteful place anyway? He turned his head (later regretting it) to see a young woman hiding her face in her hands. Her pink hair was mused and stuck to her face in some places.

Two sniffles and a hiccup later, the girl lifted her head to look at the young man that lay in the bed. Her red-rimmed eyes shot open as she realized that he was awake.

"Sasuke-kun? Y-you're okay." Sasuke heard her sigh before placing a hand on his forehead. Her usually vibrant and youthful jade eyes looked dead and glazed over. The light blush that was normally evident on her features was gone making her pale complexion appear even more ghost-like.

"S-Sakura?" at the mention of her name, the pink haired kunoichi grasped his hand squeezing it before rushing into her long prepared explanation.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm so sorry. I really am. I-I thought that I could h-handle the situation by itself but t-then... then I-I just don't know..." her words died off in a fit of hiccups. The hand that had been resting on Sasuke's forehead began to stroke his bangs in a soothing manner. In her attempts to make up for all the trouble she had caused, the young Uchiha's hand shot up to meet hers. He brought her hand down to his chest intertwining his fingers with hers in the rather painful process. Sakura gasped at the completely abnormal action made by her teammate.

'_Doesn't he get the fact that it's _all_ my fault that he's in the hospital? I'm so useless. I mean, I couldn't even heal him properly.'_

'_Of course not silly. That's why he's acting so nice. Tell him it's your fault and poof—he's back to mean, self-centered, egotistical, deadpan Sasuke. But if you don't, he'll find out one way or another that you caused this little incident and then he'll be more furious at you. If he hears it from you, maybe he won't be so mad. You know that he might even be proud that you're taking the responsibility for something.' _Sakura's inner self had never truly lied to her before so why shouldn't she— hey!

'_Wait a minute! You have steered me wrong on more than one occasion. Why should I trust you now?'_

'_Because dearie,'_ Inner Sakura replied in an all-too motherly voice_, 'if you don't, than you might lose Sasuke forever. You want that? Huh?'_

'_No... I-I guess not. Fine. You win.'_

'_Good. 'Bout time.'_

After having her rather... awkward conversation with her always optimistic inner self, Sakura turned her attention to the young, dark-haired Uchiha. She sighed deeply preparing herself for the cursing, name calling, and just plain yelling that was sure to follow in the next few impending minutes.

"Sasuke-kun, I really am sorry for what happened. If I hadn't distracted you, you might not be in the hospital right now. I'm terribly-"

"Hospital?" Sasuke cut her off with a rather demanding question.

"Yes. The hospital. You were really injured. You're head and your arm-"

"My... head?" Sasuke knitted his brows together in confusion as small pieces of memories came flooding back to him.

"_Come on teme! We can't let them win!" a young blonde screamed—his hands working quickly to form a series of hand signs, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Suddenly, the wooded area filled with fifty blonde-haired, blue-eyed shinobi ready to kick some butt._

"_All right already dobe!" the young Uchiha yelled back before activating his Sharingan and scanning his surroundings for enemies. Finding one disoriented man hiding behind the large trunk of a tree, Sasuke charged through the underbrush building chakra in his right hand. _'A small dose of chidori should be enough.'_ His right hand ripped through the man—a somewhat triumphant smirk plastered on the dark-haired teen's face._

The memories seemed to fade there but came back full force minutes before he lost consciousness.

_Sasuke caught the kunai thrown at him with skill before hurling it back at the attacker. His Sharingan was working overtime as he searched for any more signs of the enemy shinobi._ 'Nothing.'_ He continued to look for others when a shout echoed through the forest._

"_Sasuke... Sakura!" the dark-haired shinobi whipped around to face the direction of the voice. _'Had he just yelled Sakura? Where is she? Why is she here? What is she do-" _His questions were brought to an abrupt end when a bloodcurdling scream sliced through the night ending all of the fighting. Every shinobi in that vicinity stopped in their tracks; no one dared to move now that the young Uchiha was anxiously prowling for the owner of the voice._

_Then, he saw her—there, pinned by the arm of a brown-haired Mist ninja, was Haruno Sakura. The young kunoichi was shaking violently as the opposing ninja took a kunai and ran it slowly down the base of her neck to her elbow leaving a line of oozing liquid in its path. The brown-haired shinobi twirled the kunai around his forefinger before plunging it into the juncture of the pink-haired kunoichi's shoulder and twisting it in a sickly manner._

_Sakura screamed again; the sound of her distressed voice enraged Sasuke and before he knew what was happening, his curse mark had taken over and his was racing to the young girl's aid. The ninjas that had been hiding around the woods charged Sasuke sending wave after wave of attacks. Every kunai that hit Sasuke was barley noticed by the dark-haired shinobi; his mind was set on only one thing, saving Sakura._

_Finally, after what seemed like years, Sasuke reached the two at the base of the tree. "Sakura!" Sasuke reached out to the young girl. Sakura pulled her arm from the shinobi and in turn, stretched out her hand trying desperately to grasp his own. It was then that she saw the blood read eyes of the Uchiha and the ebony colored marks that steadily advanced on his once handsome features. _

_A blue light erupted from Sasuke's right hand—Sakura realized it to be chidori. The chakra in his hand tore through the Mist nins arm and back forcing him to let go of Sakura and writhe in agony at Sasuke's feet. The young Uchiha too fell to the ground after exerting high levels of chakra. The last thing he heard before falling into blackness was the sound of Sakura crying out his name._

"Oh... I remember." silence befell the pair as they were both too far in their own worlds to discuss the matter any further. The young Uchiha gazed at the young girl at his side. She had changed so much since they had first become Team 7; she had matured so much.

Sakura, realizing that Sasuke was not berating her with names, decided that she would be brave and ask him why he was not angry with her.

"Sasuke-kun. Aren't you mad?"

The young man blinked before turning his head to look into Sakura's jade pools, "Of course not."

'WHAT! How are you not mad?!" Sakura's jaw slackened at the thought of Sasuke _not_ being mad for something that was _her_ fault.

Sasuke tired to suppress a chuckle but to no avail, "Sakura, I was not well when it happened. I cannot blame you for something that you had no control over. Yes, you should have stayed away, but after that, I believe that no one knew what was happening—more so, no one wanted to know." Sasuke gripped her hand in his own. As his eyes focused on Sakura's loving face, he saw a tall white flower sitting in a simple glass vase.

"Saskue-kun?"

"... is that a flower?" the dark-haired Uchiha squinted at the single ivory bud. _'A... gardenia?'_

"Yes. I remember you saying at sometime or another, that your mother used gardenias and peach colored lilies for her wedding. I'm sorry that I couldn't find any lilies." Sakura lowered her gaze to watch the soft breeze coming from outside ruffle the creamy petals of the flower.

Sasuke gasped, "Why?"

Sakura looked taken aback before she replied, "Why what Sasuke-kun?"

"Why would you go through all this trouble? Your shoulder must be killing you. I am aware that you are a skilled medic-nin but still... why wouldn't you worry about yourself—stay in the hospital until you were well. Why would you come here to my room and wait for me to wake up? I've always been so rude to you and still you wait for me... why?"

Sakura girlishly giggled placing a hand over her mouth in a means to stop the oncoming laughter. Sadly, her attempt was in vain. "Sasuke-kun, you act like I've never stayed by your side before. Don't you remember awhile back when we were young preteens in Team 7? I was so clingy to you then, and you wonder why I wait for you? Wow Sasuke-kun... I thought it was pretty obvious—I do it because I care. And don't worry about my arm. I healed it quite nicely." As if to prove her point, Sakura pulled down on the collar of her red shirt to reveal a pink line. There was the scar that had been left by the Mist ninja.

"Because you care? How could you care for such an unworthy shinobi like myself? All I ever do is yell at you but you still are always by my side. How could you be so sweet to me? What could I have done to deserve your time?" At this statement, Sakura bent forward and placed a tender kiss on Sasuke's forehead while she continued to brush Sasuke's bangs.

"Geez Sasuke-kun, you're so dense. I care because I love you."

"Because you... love me?"

"Yes."

"Oh. I see. Well in that case, I'm glad you love me." A blush bloomed on Sakura's features as a full smile spread across her face. Sasuke too smiled at her declaration of love.

"I'm glad I love you too." Sakura giggled again.

_-o-_

Well... that's all she wrote. This is the first of my stories in 30 Kisses. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Let me know what you think. Man, this is so much fun. I absolutely love writing these little... blurbs if you will. I am aware that Sasuke is more than a little OOC—I did write this fanfic after all. I realized, when I started writing this little story, that if I used the Sasuke we know and love—not so nice, cold shoulder, egotistical, hardheaded, one-track-mind, bent on revenge, Sasuke—I wouldn't get very far in my SasukexSakura relationship... ergo, I bred and brought up my own sweet, little, kindhearted, caring, not bent on revenge, Sasuke. My apologies if this cuddly Sasuke wasn't what you were looking for.

Ciao Bello!


	2. Waiting

Title: Waiting

Author: Sicilian Maiden

Pairing: Sasuke Uchiha/Sakura Haruno

Fandom: Naruto

Theme: #2—news; letter

Rating: G

Disclaimer: All characters of Naruto are the property of Masashi Kishimoto; I alleged no possession of said characters. I only request to take them to over-rowdy soccer games and force them to play at gunpoint.

Summary: She would wait forever if she had to

_-o-_

It had been four years since Uchiha Sasuke had left Konoha to study under Orochimaru, learn all of the Snake Ninja's jutsus, kill off the horrible man, go after his brother, kill said brother, and then revive his long since dead clan. To many people, it seemed like a _really long_ "Things To Do Before I Die" list. To Sasuke, it was his merely "Things To Do Before Wednesday" list.

After his departure, many of his friends went into a silent form of grieving that many of the jounin called "moping". One such kunoichi that had taken up the vow of silence was Haruno Sakura. The pink-haired medic-nin was one of the people that took the silent grieving with such a serious temperament about the situation. After two weeks, the others had once again resumed conversations with one another.

"Sakura? Won't you at least talk to _us_?" Uzamki Naruto asked before deeply sighing, kicking the counter at which he was currently sitting, and, (like the mature person he really was), smashing his head into the said counter. The usually bubbly, over dramatic, cheerful, lively, always with his "believe it!" catchphrase, Uzamki Naruto was on summer vacation and would not be back for a while.

Sakura only held a sweet, heartbreaking smile as she shook her head in defeat and left Ichiraku Ramen. As if the day could not be worsened by any extent, the sky outside was a bleak, dreary, charcoal gray. The trees around Konoha blew in the cold wind streaming from the north. Rolling thunder echoed beyond the hill signaling the start (or near start) of a powerful rain storm. Naruto, Shikamaru, Ino, Neji, Hinata, Tenten and Rock Lee all left Ichiraku in a worse mood than when they had arrived—a near first for Naruto.

_-o-_

Sakura continued to sulk—it was like an all out theme today. This morning, Sakura awoke to a beautiful sunrise, the warmth of a spring morning, and the songs of nearly a dozen different species of songbirds. Then, Sakura had seen her calendar—there, circled in a bright red pen, was the date that marked Uchiha Sasuke's departure exactly four years ago.

Her entire day just seemed to go down hill from there.

After solemnly getting dressed (in a dark blue outfit—mourning the loss of her friend and childhood crush), the pink-haired kunoichi had scuffled out of her apartment. Seeing everyone in Konoha displaying quite chipper moods, the young girl's own mood darkened.

'_How can people be so happy today? Don't they know that Sasuke-kun is gone?'_

'_Of course they do sweetheart...' _a sweet voice echoed in her head.

'_Don't even try me today.' _Sakura snapped at her inner self's ability to make people feel worse.

'_Aw come on! I was just trying to lighten the mood. Why are you so down today?'_

'_Don't you know!? Sasuke-kun is gone and he's never coming back.' _Abruptly ending all connection with her inner self, Sakura had kicked a nearby stone and continued on her way. It was then that the sour kunoichi had met the usually hyper, happy-go-lucky, Naruto and the usual gang.

"..."

"Sakura-chan!! My beautiful flower. What troubles you?" The emerald-eyed girl remembered Rock Lee approaching her before enveloping her in a giant bear hug.

"..." Sakura had sighed once again before trudging onward to the town center. Ino, had then gotten the attention of her whole group of friends, (excluding some certain youthful others), quickly grasped Naruto's arm, and pointed toward Ichiraku, the Rookie 9's (well, mostly Naruto's) favorite hang out place where the young cherry blossom had been heading.

After a few bowls of ramen, Sakura had been still feeling out of it.

The young kunoichi had closed her eyes inhaling deeply before rising, placing a few bills on the counter, and leaving the small ramen shop.

"Poor Sakura-chan." Unbeknownst to Sakura, Lee, had realized that his beautiful flower had not payed the full check and felt it his duty to place three more bills before departing along with the rest of the group.

_-o-_

This was where Sakura found herself now. The young kunoichi scuffed at the ground; the clouds above were swirling only adding the horrible mood she was in. Why did the whole world have to be against her today? The pink-haired kunoichi sighed for the umpteenth time that day and, once noticing her current position, gasped.

'_This bench,' _Sakura's mind reeled as memories of Sasuke's departure resurfaced. Suddenly, her eyes snapped to a crisp, white envelope that rested casually on the stone bench. Realizing that her perfect eyesight had missed it, Sakura slowly approached the folded stationary. Hesitantly, the pink-haired medic-nin snatched the envelope giving it a once over.

In a neat handwriting, smooth black ink spelled out Haruno Sakura. Her jade eyes snapped open as she confirmed the owner of the handwriting.

'_Sasuke.'_

Ripping the envelope open, she found a neat letter tucked inside. Quickly, her eyes scanned the note.

_I'm coming home._

Those three words struck her. It was like a heavy blow to the stomach. Again, emerald eyes read the letter. There were so many different meanings behind those words; so many ways to read it. _Home_—he called this place home. That had to mean something good. Why was he calling this 'hell-hole', as he had so bluntly called it, home?

She would have to wait until he returned before she could have her answers. Come hell or high water, she was_ going_ to get answers even if she had to beat the snot out of him to get them.

This entire letter had her heart pounding. She _had _to understand what had been going through the young avenger's mind and this was the only way she would know. The young kunoichi decided that he really did intend to come back; there was no other reason for his words. Her friends all smiled as they watched their cherry blossom clutch the letter in her grasp.

"Sakura-chan! Let's go to the bridge!" The bridge—their waiting spot where there were so many memories of Team 7.

"Alright Naruto." The pink-haired girl smiled as the sky cleared.

She would await for him with love in her heart and when he came back, (if he didn't, she would force him to on pain of death), she would kiss him within an inch of his life.

_-o-_

Well that's all. I hope that you liked this story. I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out. I guess I just lost my writing spirit and I haven't watched Naruto in such a long time so I totally had nothing to write—I felt so lost. I promise I'll try to keep Sasuke in character with the next one. I realize that writing such stories with readers in mind is hard cause you want them to end up together in the end but you want them to keep their personalities in check.

Done ranting now. I promise to updates soon. I just have to get soccer tryouts out of the way and the dreaded high school is starting again so I might be a tad slow.

Tishni : Sorry for the OOC. It's been so long since I'd last writen a fic that I was totally losing my touch. I watched Naruto though (after I wrote this) and I hope that my next chapter will be better.

jenny-R : Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you liked it. Here's your update...

Sony89 : Thanks! I hope I didn't disappoint too much.

And yes, I know—Sasuke hasn't really gotten to kiss Sakura yet but never fear! It will happen! Please review! I'd love you all forever!!

Ciao Bello!


	3. Attention

Dear Readers,

Due to a sudden relapse in illness, Sicilian Maiden will not be on fanfiction for a while. Because of this, her stories will be put on temporary hiatus until further notice; though I may update a few stories for her in her absence.

Our prayers are with her and her family and we wish her a safe and speedy recovery. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely,

Machi-chan


	4. Annoying

Author: Sicilian Maiden

Pairing: Sasuke Uchiha/Sakura Haruno

Fandom: Naruto

Theme: #22—cradle

Rating: PG (mild language)

Disclaimer: All characters of Naruto are the property of Masashi Kishimoto; I alleged no possession of said characters. I only request to take them to over-rowdy soccer games and force them to play at gunpoint.

Summary:Sometimes, large irritating things can come in small packages.

_-o-_

"What the _hell_ are you asking me to do?" a raven haired man spun to meet the voice of his oppressor. Had he heard him right?

"Sasuke... I'm sure that your hearing is just as good as your eyesight. You heard me correctly," a sickly looking man flicked a sheet of his jet black hair behind is ghost white shoulder before offering a quite (in Sasuke's opinion) disturbing grin.

"I will_ not_ go back to Konoha. You damn snake—you know that I vowed not to return there!" Sasuke spat before turning on his heel and heading down the darkly lit corridor. The next words stopped the surviving Uchiha in his tracks.

"There is something there that means a lot to you isn't there?" A twisted look contorted his pale features in malice.

"You—"

"Me? Oh Sasuke... I know about your little _girlfriend_ that you left in Konoha. I also know her whereabouts. I could kill her if I really wanted to. Oh, but Sasuke-kun, where's the fun in that I ask you?"

"What do you want me to do?" Sasuke chocked out. He knew that Orochimaru wasn't bluffing. When Sasuke had hoped to sever all ties to Konoha, once his home, he had also hoped to sever all ties with the inhabitants of that villiage. Sadly, his hopes had been in vain. No matter how hard he tried to forget all the faces of his friends and, whether he liked to admit it or not, his _family_, he just couldn't seem follow through with his intentions.

There was on specific kunoichi that he could not, and in some parts of his mind, _would not_ cut the ties to. Her bright viridian eyes had kept him going during the hardest days, and her colorful pink hair had given him some nights of peace. That perfect smile was the reason that he could continue living and, no matter how hard he tried to admit it, that voice reminded him of home.

"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page now. Sasuke, I need you to go and spy on your home. Tell me who the current Hokagae is there, where the kyuubi vessel is... any weakness that Konoha has but," the Snake Sanin's lips tugged upwards as he continued, casually eyeing the raven haired man before him, "you only have one week. This means that you must infiltrate Konoha, gather your information, and get out of there in seven days. Understood?"

"Yes." Sasuke grimaced at the idea of returning to the one place he had promised never to venture near for as long as he lived. Yet, part of him was a little giddy at the prospect of seeing his old friends, and finding out whether or not their willingness to accept him once more.

_-o-_

"Hush now Mikoto-chan." A young woman around the age of twenty-one smiled at the pink bundle in her arms. Calming her daughter, Haruno Sakura hummed a small tune to silence her ever crying daughter. The tuft of black hair on her head splayed out every which way, and her green eyes watched the figure above her with interest.

"Sakura-chan? Are you home?" a soft voice called from the gate on the other side of the porch. Sakura's gaze shifted behind her shoulder after hearing a light knocking at the wooden door. Her porch was a giant wraparound that had pale blue, chiffon curtains draped around the frame of the roof. They looked as though a waterfall engulfed the wooden veranda. Every ten feet, a wooden column shot from the hardwood floor—ferns and other tropical plants were stationed around the columns, while some hung from the ceiling. A stone fountain sat in the corner omitting the soothing sounds of trickling water.

"Hokagae-sama. Please come in." Sakura went back to rocking her child in her arms. Hearing footsteps approaching her, Sakura smiled.

"Sakura-chan, please don't call me that..." the owner of the rich voice placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Naruto-kun then?" Sakura turned fully to gaze at her old teammate. He had lost all of his boyish looks, though on glance at his eyes could argue that point. No longer a short kid, Uzumaki Naruto was a tall man with blonde, spiky hair. His golden locks had grown a little as they were falling into his breathtakingly azure eyes. His face had become more angular over their ten years of knowing each other; he was muscularly built and his voice had deepened to a rich, resonant sound.

"Yes, that would be wonderful." Noting the small child in Sakura's arms, Naruto placed a tentative hand to her cheek where he slowly stroked the soft flesh below his thumb. "How is Mikoto-chan?"

"She is doing well Naruto-kun. I should be asking you about Hinata-chan. How is _she_?" Naruto laughed heartedly. Sakura loved that sound, it meant that everything was right in the world when the Hokagae could laugh. Ever since Mikoto had been born, Naruto had stepped in to play the part of the father.

"Hinata-chan has been very happy lately. She—"

Sakura quickly cut in, "Oh. She should be happy, she's going to be marrying the Hokagae!" Smiling at the ability to bring a blush to Naruto's face, Sakura placed Mikoto into the egg-shell white crib that she had brought outside. Konoha had had a very nice week in terms of weather and Sakura wanted Mikoto to get the chance to bask in the warm sun.

"Yes, Hinata-chan is very ecstatic about our upcoming wedding." Then, as if remembering slowly trying to remember something, Naruto added, "You will be attending right?"

"Of course Naruto-kun. Hinata would be crestfallen if I didn't come to be her maid of honor." Sakura brought out another chair motioning for Naruto to sit with her. The two friends talked about everything from the Hokagae's wedding, to Mikoto's growing curiosity.

From the crib bellow, a small mewling noise sounded. "It looks like Mikoto-chan is ready to get up and move. This little one has her father's stubbornness; she's always demanding to be entertained, or insisting we go somewhere." Said child let out a shrill cry reaching upwards to her mother. "Goodness gracious child, what am I going to do with you?" Sakura mumbled hoisting Mikoto from her cradle and situating the now fascinated child on her hip.

Stooping down to be eye-level with the young girl, Naruto cooed. "Aw, be good now for your kaa-san yes?" Mikoto gurgled deciding that she'd rather be with the male than with her mother. Naruto plucked Mikoto from Sakrua's hip before bouncing her on his own.

A few minutes later, Mikoto in a fit of giggles, was given back to her mother. "I must go now Sakura-chan." Naruto placed a soft kiss on Sakura's cheek before turning. Sakura reached out and grasped Naruto's wrist and, gently moving Mikoto to the side so she wouldn't be crushed, gave Naruto a loving hug.

"Thank you Naruto-kun... for everything."

"Of course Sakura-chan, how could I not." Naruto returned her embrace, "Oh, Hinata-chan would like it if you could come over tomorrow so she, you, Ino, and Tenten could try on dresses for the reception."

"I'd love to—see you then. Say bye-bye to Uncle Naruto!" Sakura called out taking Mikoto's hand waving it back and forth.

"Goodbye Mikoto-chan." Naruto smiled waving back. Soon, he disappeared from sight.

Sakura sighed stroking Mikoto's soft black hair mumbling, "If only your father could see you now."

_-o-_

Onyx eyes scanned their surroundings; Konoha hadn't changed a bit. The carvings of past Hokagaes still decorated the cliff behind the villiage. This time, however, there were two new faces added to the honored wall. One—being, of course, the very first female—was Tsunade. The other, Sasuke scoffed at this, was none other than Uzumaki Naruto. His bust was less stoic than the others, a smile carved into his face and, though his eyes were made of stone, they still twinkled with mischief.

"Dobe." A smirk—borderline smile made formed on the Uchiha's handsome features. A feeling of nostalgia swept over the raven haired man as his eyes continued to gaze at his old home. Jumping from one branch to another, Sasuke debated whether or not he should throw caution to the wind and stay here, or follow the snake's orders. To stay or not to stay, that was the question.

Stopping to perch on a higher branch, the surviving Uchiha's brows furrowed together, his eyes darting to watch the scene play before him.

There, below him, a young woman walked arm in arm with a seemingly familiar male. The brown haired man was smiling from ear to ear as the woman to his side whispered something. The pair stopped and Sasuke immediately hid his chakra hoping not to be caught. The woman's red dress flowed around her calves as she spun to see the reason for their halt.

Rushing to meet the two, was a blonde woman, her straw colored hair was swept in an bun, a few strands of hair framed her face ; her maroon sundress streamed out behind her as she ran. Following behind the exuberant looking blonde was a not so exuberant looking man. His short brown hair was also pulled back, though in a ponytail, the short ends sticking out every which way. Both girls met in a hug while the to men clasped their hands on the other's shoulders.

"Neji, Shikamaru, Ino, and is that... Tenten?" Sasuke hardly recognized the weapons mistress as her usual bun hairdo was swapped in for more classy looking curls. The raven haired man watched with curiosity as his four old friends walked together to a small building. Before entering, Ino and Tenten turned to see another of their friends approach.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open when he realized who he was looking at. Sprinting, as well as one can in high heels, a pink haired woman raised her hand to stop the others. Her emerald silk dress swooped around her as she came to a rest. The shiny fabric stopped just below her knees and twirled outward. The top was strapless and had a clean cut to it. Sitting slightly above her waist, a cream colored ribbon acted as a belt. The sash wrapped around her and tied in a neat bow in the back. Sakura's rose colored tresses had grown out just below her shoulder blades and were set in gentle curls.

Ino rushed up to Sakura and gave her a kiss on the cheek, Sakura then returning the act. Following Sakura was a blonde haired male that Sasuke quickly acknowledged as Uzumaki Naruto. Did that mean that Sakura and Naruto—no, couldn't be... right?

Sasuke dashed from the trees and continued until he found the Hokagae's tower. A weird and unfamiliar feeling took over Sasuke. It was like his heart had been ripped out. Of course, he had done the same to all his friends when he left to Oto so what was the difference now—he was only get what he deserved.

_-o-_

Sakura giggled as her and her best friends walked into the newly built bridal shop. An older woman stood smiling behind the front counter. "Is this the Uzumaki Reception?"

"Why yes it is." Naruto laughed when the woman's eyes widen.

"H-Hokagae-sama! Oh yes... Uzumaki. I-I'm so sorry! I'm so dumb I didn't even realize that—"

"It's quite alright." Naruto held up his hands as if to say 'No harm done. Really, I'm fine.' The three girls laughed quietly behind the men.

"Right this way Hokagae-sama." The dark haired woman ushered them to a private room where thirteen different dresses sat content on the mannequins. Seven variations of the same bouquet were laid out on the dark wooden table. Numerous drawings were pinned on the wall—each a different sketch of the aisle. Pictures of tuxes rested on a coffee table to the side of the larger table. Varies wedding cake designs were bundled in a binder that sat at the front of the table. The rest of the room was filled with wedding paraphernalia.

"Wow Naruto, you're really going all out on this wedding," Neji commented. Tenten playfully took a swipe at his arm before smiling up at him.

"This just means that we have to have an even _bigger_ wedding huh Neji-kun." The Hyuuga blushed when he realized that his own wedding was only seven months away. They had a great deal of work ahead of them if they wanted to outdo _the_ Hokagae's wedding.

"Well Hyuuga, you only get married once. Anyway, we'll just have to wait for your wedding won't we?" Naruto directed his comment to the now blushing Tenten.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled at the blonde dropping honorifics now that they were in the company of friends.

"What? I was only poking fun at the Neji—where's the harm in that?"

"Everywhere Naruto!" It was Ino's turn to berate the poor unrespected Hokagae. Shikamaru, noticing his friend's predicament decided that now was the best time to intervene.

"Hey, troublesome woman, why don't you back off for now." Shikamaru then turned to Naruto before mumbling, "I thought that Hokagaes were supposed to get respect. What happened to that little piece of fine print?"

Naruto could only shrug before nodding in agreement with Shikamaru's statement.

"Shika-kun. Your definitely no fun!" Ino pouted crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hokagae-sama? There are a few tuxedos over here for you to try on. If you don't see anything that you like, we can surely tailor one specifically for you," the chestnut haired woman bowed politely before making her departure while leaving two woman behind to help the Hokagae into his ensemble.

"Tuxedo? What happened to your yukata?" Neji questioned, his back turned to the group as he extensively contemplated the wedding pictures that hung on the wall.

"Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that we're not having a traditional wedding; it's going to be a western-theme. Hinata-chan had wanted to try one and because of everyone's upcoming marriages, we wanted our wedding to be special... you know?"

"I think it sounds wonderful Naruto." Tenten placed her hand gently on the Hokagae's shoulder, encouragement clearly evident in her chocolate orbs. Naruto nodded in acknowledgment to the brunette's statement before noting the return of the elderly woman and following the shopkeeper to the back of the room where the tuxedos were hanging. The blonde disappeared behind a folding screen and then reappearing in a rather dashing black tux. The group encircled the full-length mirror each adding their own comments to the kyuubi's new attire.

Suddenly, becoming aware of the time, Sakura bowed quietly to the group muttering apologies and salutations as she made her way out of the small store. The resounding noise that her heels made when the hit the ground was lost as soon as she made her way to one of the main roads in Konoha. The street was teeming with people, probably out and about enjoying the extremely gorgeous day.

The pink-haired kunoichi strode to her home coincidently situated near the Uchiha residence. Seeing a young, ash-haired woman sitting on a eloquent wooden bench with a young child in her arms, Sakura sighed in relief. _'Good. I thought that she would've left by now.'_

"Kiri-chan, thank goodness. I was afraid that you were gone. I'm so sorry—I completely lost track of time." The young woman looked up from the baby a contagious smile on her face.

"Please Haruno-san, it is of no consequence. It would have been a mistake if I would've left the child unattended. If you are done for the day, I will take my leave," the blue-eyed girl handed the swaddled infant to the awaiting arms of Sakura.

"Yes, go and enjoy the day." The two women bided farewell to each other. The medic-nin's daughter let out a shrill cry, her hands shooting up to meet Sakura's own. The pink-haired kunoichi smiled down at her daughter laughing slightly as the small girl yawned. Sighing in content, the medic-nin rocked Mikoto gently whispering, "It seems as if all you do is eat, sleep, and play. I wish I could be as care-free as you." Tenderly placing the girl in her crib before turning to stand under the sakura tree that sprung from the ground in the center of the yard. Sakura wrapped her arms around the sturdy trunk laughing when she realized that she couldn't fully encircle the base of the graceful tree. For some reason, when she embraced the barky stalk, its powerful support reminded her a lot of her first and only love, Uchiha Sasuke.

Tears slipped down her porcelain face, her emotions finally bursting free from her tightly bound soul. Since the day he left, Sakura had kept the deeper, desolate side of her spirit in check, never allowing herself to cry or show the heartbreak that was slowly killing her from the inside. Even when her parents had been slaughtered in front of her, she had forbade herself from breaking down and had instead, turned around and killed the ninja that had destroyed her life.

"Sasuke-kun... where are you?" The young woman looked upward watching the soft petals fall from the branches above; their pastel pink hue contrasting against the ocean blue sky.

Sakura smiled at the slowly passing clouds before turning to the sleeping infant. "I'm just going to get a drink of water okay Mikoto-chan?" The young medic-nin softly brushed back the child's dark locks.

Sakura walked into her home barley making it ten steps inside before she found herself crying once more. The emerald-eyed girl's fingers grazed the edge of the wooden frame incasing the memorable picture of Team 7. Slipping from her previous position, Sakura gracefully dropped to the ground, her back leaning against the solid wall.

The pink-haired woman closed her eyes, the tear stains still evident on her pale features, and accepted the darkness that had begun to consume her tired mind.

_-o-_

Sasuke was sure that he had found quite enough information on the Hokagae. Filling in a few blanks that he hadn't known, the last Uchiha felt rather confident about his data on Uzumaki Naruto. Sure, he had know that kyuubi for a while but some of the stuff he had found—wow, he hadn't even known that the sixth Hokagae was marrying the Hyuuga heiress.

In the midst of learning about the few years he was absent, he had stumbled upon a few tidbits about the others' lives. The one piece of information that had shocked him the most was that Haruno Sakura had given birth to a little girl. To Sasuke's dismay, there had been no picture or report on the infant. At least, with the knowledge of the Hokagae's marriage, he knew that it couldn't be Naruto's child. So... who's was the father?

Shaking his head to clear is thoughts, Sasuke leapt to another branch subconsciously meandering his way to the old Uchiha district. Once landing in the familiar neighborhood, the raven-haired man eyed a building that sat on the edge of the Uchiha residence.

'_I don't remember that being there when I left. Did I just notice it now? Who lives there? Why was—' _Suddenly, hearing a commotion behind him, the Uchiha concealed his chakra and disappeared. Approaching his previous position, was his old friends.

'_Friends?' _Sasuke was unable to contemplate the reason for his choice of words, as a tiny noise interrupted his train of thought. It was a high pitched sound but annoying all the same—a mix between a crying cat and twittering bird. This sound caught the attention of the young Uchiha.

"What the...?" The raven-haired male turned to look at the end of the small street that held nearly half a dozen homes. One house, slightly larger than the others, seemed to be the sounds point of origin. Bounding to a lower branch, Sasuke closed his eyes momentarily trying to pinpoint the exact location of the noise. All the while, the irritating crying was starting to drive the young man to the brink of insanity.

Quietly, Sasuke landed firmly on the ground before taking of in the direction of the house. The sound only seemed to grow more infuriating by the second. He was sure that he had only been listening the constant crying for a couple of minutes but it felt like an eternity.

As he continued to make his way to his destination, Sasuke tried to figure out what exactly was making such a horrible noise. Throwing out the possibility of it being a grown person, his mind jumped to the image of a wounded animal. No, couldn't be that. So... what was it?

Finally reaching the wooden house, the Uchiha prodigy came to the conclusion that ruckus was coming from the backyard. Silently, Sasuke crept to the gate on the side of the yard—his hand reached over the wooden door, one of his fingers flicked at the metal lock.

'_Humph. What a simple lock. Is this person trying to be robbed?'_ A smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth. Pushing the gate open, Sasuke peered around the corner to see that no one was there. It was quite a spacious backyard; a giant sakura tree in the center, numerous greenery and flora lined the oak fence that enclosed the garden.

Hearing the crying, Sasuke approached a petite, cream-colored crib. Examining the wooden piece of furniture, his obsidian eyes widened. Inside the cradle was a small bundle of white fabric. Suddenly, the crying was replaced by a soft cooing. A gentle breeze picked up sending with it, soft sakura petals.

The pale material shifted slightly as the object inside hiccuped—the crying picked up once more. Without thinking, (something that an Uchiha didn't do that often), Sasuke placed his hands inside the crib as his raised the small body to his own, cradling it tenderly, (something else that an Uchiha didn't do that often).

One of his hands pulled back the top of the soft cotton to reveal a soft tuft of black hair. Sasuke took a sharp intake of breath and then chuckled; it was if today was "Try to Shock Sasuke Day"—it was one surprise after another.

The soft rumbling of his chest was enough to comfort the baby. It's crying stopped instantly as it opened its eyes groggily. Yet again, to Sasuke's astonishment, the child's eyes were a deep, emerald green. That is was it then, wasn't it?

"Sa... S-Sakura?" That proved it... it was her house that he was at. The infant gurgled happily, lifting its hands to place them on Sasuke's face. Lightly, the baby patted the older man's cheeks. Out of the blue, the young Uchiha felt another presence. Without knowing definitely who it was, he just felt that something was wrong. Sasuke set the child back in her crib before turning to leave.

"Sasuke-kun?" That voice! Sasuke spun to meet the jade eyes he had been dying to see for nearly five years. The raven-haired male allowed his eyes to gaze at the figure before him—she hadn't changed a bit. Sasuke decided that he liked her more up close than at a distance. Those defiant emerald eyes were still as energetic as when he had last seen them and yet, there seemed to be a strong intensity to their stare. A teary smile came to her face.

"Sakura. It's you." His obsidian eyes glazed over with emotion; something that hadn't happened in a long time.

Hearing his reassuring voice, Sakura's steely gaze softened. Feeling as though her once broken life was finally pieced back together, the young med-nin tried desperately to suppress her giggle. Sadly... she failed miserably.

"Of course Sasuke-kun; who's house did you think it was? Didn't the name plaque out front give it away? It seems as if Mr. Top-Notch Super Ninja has become flawed." Taking a tentative step forward, Sakura placed an escaped lock of hair behind her ear. The simple act sent shivers down Sasuke's spine. That and the fact that she had called him Sasuke-_kun_; he hadn't heard that in such a long time.

"Sakura I-" The Uchiha didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as he was _quite _rudely interrupted by a high pitched screech. The dark-haired male turned his gaze once again to the small cradle. From where he stood he could make out a pair of tiny hands reaching upward in hopes of grasping Mommy's attention.

"Oh Miki-chan, you always have my completely undivided attention," Sakura spoke soothingly to her daughter. She then turned to Sasuke, "Please excuse me for a moment." The pink-haired kunoichi brushed past the S-class criminal to reach into the crib.

'_Mothers are truly wonderful creatures. They really are the miracles of this world. All it had taken was a glance at Sakura's face, and the child quieted down.'_

'_That's why you love her isn't it?'_ a small voice stated.

'_I-I well, that is...' _Damnation! He couldn't even speak properly in his own head. Somewhere, that was completely unfair.

'_That's her power. She may have never been strong enough to physically stop your rampages-'_

'_Damn right!'_

'-but_, that doesn't mean that her voice wasn't enough to subdue that bloody curse mark!'_ the voice finished triumphantly.

'_Okay. So what?'_

"_You love her!'_ Before Sasuke could retort the small voice—oh yes, what a fine story that would make to tell the guys—Sakura spoke up.

"So... Sasuke-kun, what brings you back to Konoha. I thought that you said you would never step foot on Konoha ground again. What made you change your mind?"

The obsidian-eyed male found himself at a crossroad. On one hand, he could tell Sakura the truth about his mission from the Sound and on the other hand... He couldn't lie to her. He felt himself unable to tell the beautiful young woman in front of him that the only reason he came back was because that evil Snake Sanin told him to.

Realizing that he was debating what to say to her, Sakura decided to make up his mind for him, "I want the truth Sasuke-kun, no matter how horrendous, how saddening it is."

The S-class criminal's head dropped to watch a small leave twirl gracefully on the hardwood floor below. Sasuke was completely taken aback by the events of today. First, seeing Sakura after all these years; second, the news of the infant; and now... he felt like he'd rather be interrogated and tortured by Kabuto than answer Sakura. Today _really_ wasn't his day.

"I-I Sakura, I mean," the young medic-nin laughed at the sight of _The _Uchiha Sasuke stuttering before her. Sasuke's gaze snapped upward to see Sakura's eyes full of mirth. Just the sound of her laughter seemed to lighten the weight that the dark-haired male was carrying on his chest. He let out a breath that he wasn't aware he was holding and pushed forward, "Sakura, I came because Orochimaru told me to come and observe Konoha. I was told that if I didn't agree with him, he would come himself and kill anyone that may still have ties to. That means that he would've come and killed Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, the girls, and probably..." he couldn't bring himself to finish his thought. Just the idea that someone could do something so atrocious; honestly!

"He would have come and killed me right?" Sakura whispered, her arms still holding Mikoto to her hip. Said infant gurgled happily as the pink-haired kunoichi bounced her daughter at her waist. Taking a deep breath she looked at the man before her smiling, "and probably Mikoto-chan too."

"Mikoto?_" _Sasuke's eyes widened considerably at the sound of his mother's name,_'That name! It was my mother's name!'_

"Yes, Orochimaru would have most likely killed Mikoto-chan. I mean, she is my daughter." Sakura smiled warmly at the small girl in her arms. Her large emerald eyes were open scanning her surroundings; a soft breeze rose to gently move the tuft of ebony hair on her head.

"Why Mikoto? Why that name?" Sasuke felt like he was being swallowed whole. Why had Sakura named her daughter after his mother?

"Don't you remember Sasuke-kun? You came back a little over two years ago." Memories flashed through the obsidian-eyed man.

'_A little over a year ago, I came back? I came back to Konoha and—' _Sasuke took a heated step forward as he watched Sakura intently. Her smiled hadn't faltered at all; her eyes still shone with adoration for him.

"You mean—? But Sakura!" That couldn't be! He had been sent out on a mission about nineteen months ago to follow an escapee from the Sound that may have taken off with useful information. On his way back, he had seen the large gates of Konoha and that sight had gotten the better of him. The S-class criminal had wandered in, in the dark of night, to pay a visit to his old home. He had seen young Sakura still meandering the streets with her group of girlfriends. Tenten, Ino, and Hinata departed; each going there separate ways to leave Sakura alone. She smiled and waved to all three girls before heading the direction of her home.

Sasuke watched her disappear around a corner before quickening his pace, setting out to find the pink-haired kunoichi. His encounter with Sakura had been something that he had thought would never happen. The two had exchanged words of longing with another before throughly enjoying each other's company.

Sasuke's face slightly flushed at the memories of that night. He took yet another step closer to Sakura before saying, "But it was only one night."

"I guess one night was all it took." The young medic-nin's face became exceptionally rosy—matching the color of her coral locks. The young Uchiha took a final step to the young woman, his hand meeting Mikoto's soft jet black hair.

"So you're saying that this child is..."

"Yes Sasuke-kun, _ours_." Sakura lifted Mikoto from her hip to the awaiting arms of her father. A tear rolled down one of her porcelain cheeks as she continued, "Sasuke-kun, I wanted to name our daughter after your mother incase, incase you didn't come back. I wanted our daughter to always," a small hiccup halted her sentence but Sakura recovered and finished her thought, "I wanted Mikoto to always remember her father just incase she never saw you. I was going to tell her all about her past but... you're here now so I guess I won't have to worry."

The dark-haired male smiled down at his offspring. This small child was something that the two of them had created. Tearing his eyes from Mikoto, Sasuke stared at Sakura.

"Um... Sasuke-kun, what are we going to do now?" The young Uchiha hadn't thought of that yet. Sure, he now had a daughter, but what about the others? Would they come and accept him again? Would Naruto allow him to stay in Konoha with his family? What about Orochimaru?

"I need to go back to the Sound."

"What!? Why?"

Sasuke shifted Mikoto into one of his arms, his other hand going to meet Sakura's chin as he tilted it upwards. Their eyes met and Sakura swiftly threw her arms around Sasuke's middle. Quietly, she cried into his chest.

"No... please don't l-leave us again. I-I need you—Mikoto needs y-you!"

"Sakura," Sasuke whispered, "you have to understand. Orochimaru sent me here and if I don't return as scheduled, he will come after me and evidently, after my family. I can't stand idly by while I know that that creep is going to come to Konoha looking for us." At the word family, Sakura peered silently at the man she had come to love dearly. Sasuke sighed, inhaling the soft sent that was Sakura's perfume. It smelled slightly of rainwater and some odd flower. Here, he continued, "I want to know that you're going to be safe. _Both_ of you. And I can't know that if I don't leave to finish of that bastard.

"Please understand that this is the only way it can be. I _will_ return to you and Mikoto and we _will_ be a family again. Now that I know that I have a family waiting for me, you can be sure that I'll return to you."

"Sasuke-kun, I will not have you leaving us when Mikoto-chan and I need you. I will—" Before Sakura could protest the situation any further, Sasuke swooped down and captured her soft lips with his own. A small sound escaped from the back of Sakura's throat sending tingling sensations throughout the Uchiha's body. He had forgotten the feel of her lips against his own.

Gently pulling away, Sasuke smiled down at the pink-haired kunoichi. Handing Mikoto to her mother, Sasuke slowly lowered himself to one knee.

"I know that I cannot give you a ring but take my promise. Sakura Haruno, when I return, will you marry me?"

Nodding briskly, Sakura blushed when Sasuke tenderly grasped her hand and placed a light kiss upon it. His mouth then left her hand and returned to Sakura's lips. Just as the two had begun to get lost in the feel of each other, the impatiently waiting daughter decided she could wait no more. A soft cry split the couple apart—their attention turning to Mikoto.

A rare smile graced Sasuke's lips when he placed a small kiss on his daughter's forehead resulting in a delighted giggle. His large hand ruffled soft black hair.

"I will return Uchiha Sakura," Sasuke said liking the way the name sounded when it rolled of his lips. The two shared one more kiss—certainly not their last—before the raven-haired man took off past the line of trees that separated the Uchiha compound from the rest of the village.

As he ran, an unusual laugh erupted from the man's throat. She may have been annoying, like her mother no doubt, but she was his..._ theirs_. And it would be her life that would always keep them connected.

_-o-_

Wow! That was practically the longest story yet. I got a request to start writing longer chapters cause they were too short. Of course after I finished writing it, I went online to read a few other stories that I had been meaning to get to, and then I stumbled onto another 30 Kisses story for Ran and Shinichi. (LOVE IT!) FYI they're from Case Closed (or Detective Conan, whatever your preference is). I then realized that these stories don't have to be that long but I felt like, "What the heck? I feel like writing a longer story. What are they gonna do... sue me?" Oh wait, please don't! I'm not that rich, really! I still want to go to college so I'd appreciate it if you allowed me to continue saving up my "Poor Sicilian Maiden Doesn't Want to Grow Up and Live in a Cardboard Box" funds. T.T

Anyways, hope you all liked the story. And yes, I know it took a long time to get to the point where Sasuke can finally use his spiffy ninja skills and say, "Hey! This kid's got green eyes (like Sakura) and black hair (like me) so using common sense... Woah! This kid's ours!" Yep, all made possible by our friends the dominant and recessive genes! (I felt smart saying that!) XD

Sony89 : Thank you so much for the sweet review! I hope you liked this chapter.

Tishni : Thanks! I'm glad you've stuck with me for this long—it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside buy hey... I'm a little wierd! XD

UchihaSasukeluva4eva: Wow, what a name! I love it! You luvveedd my story? I'm blushing. I hope you like this chapter...

_Laura-chan : Thank you so much. I'll tell her that you said so. (Machi-chan)_

I'm still unsure about the whole honorifics so if anyone could pleases help with that, it would be much appreciated! Um... I'm pretty sure that you don't want to here me ramble anymore so... I'll just stop. Sorry about that!! Please review! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! Question, comments, and concerns will be dealt with appropriately.

Ciao Bello!

_All author's notes were written by Sicilian Maiden at an earlier date with the exclusion of Laura-chan's review reply. I had no say in what the contents of the notes were. I hope you enjoyed this story on behalf of the author and thank you for the get well words. Edited and posted by Machi-chan 8-29-07_


	5. My Hero

Title: My Hero

Author: Sicilian Maiden

Pairing: Sasuke Uchiha/Sakura Haruno

Fandom: Naruto

Theme: #16—invincible; unrivaled

Rating: G

Disclaimer: All characters of Naruto are the property of Masashi Kishimoto; I alleged no possession of said characters. I only request to take them to over-rowdy soccer games and force them to play at gunpoint.

Summary: Sure, she was a girl... but hey—any girl that could hit that hard was defiantly in the running to be his hero.

_i though i'd update sooner for the great present of over 1600 hits! thank you guys so much!_

_-o-_

Eight year old Uchiha Sasuke grumbled as gave the innocent looking blue paper another once over. "My Hero" was typed in large black letters across the top. His hero? Weren't you supposed to write these thingys on someone in your family?

'_Who should I write my essay about? Oh yeah, that's right—I don't have any family.' _Anger surged through the young boys veins as he crumpled to blue document into a tiny paper ball. Stupid teachers giving out stupid assignments.

Obsidian eyes watched the gathering clouds that loomed on the horizon. As Sasuke readjusted the strap on his bag, a group of rather loud kids shot past the young Uchiha. One of them, the so-called "ringleader" of the gang, violently rammed his shoulder into Sasuke's. The dark-haired boy's bag when tumbling to the ground, its contents spilling to the ground.

"Hey!" Sasuke shouted to the other kids as they took off down the street. The leader, a young boy with wildly splayed ginger hair and frightening ice blue eyes spun to meet the dark gaze of the surviving Uchiha. The young boy stuck out his tongue before chanting, "See you Mr. Pathetic!"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks as he watched the group disappear around a corner. _'Mr. Pathetic? Is that my new name?'_ As the young boy reached down to grab his bag, another paler hand beat him to it. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his gaze tracing the hand to an equally fair arm, and then to a vibrantly colored head of coral-pink hair.

"Here, let me help you," a sweet, slightly high-pitched voice said. Sasuke removed his hand from his precious backpack to retrieve some of his books. After he was sure he had gotten every book, Sasuke turned his attention to the owner of the voice.

There, standing triumphantly with Sasuke's bag in hand, was a small girl. Her sparkling emerald eyes watched him from under rosette bangs. A large red ribbon was tied in her hair holding back some hair to reveal, in what Sasuke' thought, a forehead slightly larger than the average person's.

"Hi there! I'm Sakura Haruno," the young girl smiled widely at the raven-haired boy before her. Suddenly realizing that she still had his bag, Sakura thrust her hand forward. Somewhat sheepishly, Sakura smiled, "Here's your bag."

A light blush painted Sasuke's cheeks as he quickly grasped the bag and mumbled a soft, "Thanks."

"Hey, what's your name anyway?"

"Um... my name is Sasuke Uchiha," the young boy braced himself for the berating. Ever since his clan had been killed, people had wondered with the youngest Uchiha had been spared. When Sasuke had told everyone that his brother, Itachi Uchiha, thought he was too pathetic to kill, they had made a running joke about it. Many of the adults and elderly of Konoha thought that making a jest about the current situation of the one person clan was a horrible thing to do. However, numerous kids found it hilarious that one of the famed Uchihas was dubbed "too pathetic" to kill.

"Uchiha huh? Oh gosh, I'm really sorry to hear about your family." Sakura placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. A thought struck the young girl, "Um, if you don't mind me asking, where do you live?"

"Where... do I live?" Sasuke's head tilted backward as he watched some of the smokey grey clouds float across the sky.

"Yeah, I mean you gotta live somewhere right?" The pink-haired girl removed her hand from the boys arm as she instead placed both of them behind her back, her head to slanting back to watch the thunderclouds roll in.

The young boy contemplated what to tell the girl when she spun around and jutted an opposing finger at him. The smile on her face grew wide as an idea struck her, "Why don't you come over to my house for dinner? I'm sure my mom would be glad to see that I'm making friends here!"

"Y-your house? Dinner?"

"Why not?" Suddenly, one of her pink brows shot upward as her kind smile twisted into one of a more sadistic grin, "That is, if you're not afraid."

This was a major blow to the young Uchiha. Finding it quite damaging to his pride, he spat back, "Of course not!"

"Fine then," Sakura grabbed the shaken boy's hand as she pulled him down the sidewalk. A few villagers that had been watching the affair smiled warmly at the idea of Uchiha Sasuke breaking out of his shell. Others only looked on with malice, some muttering, "Why would she touch that monster?" and, "That child's cursed, she shouldn't be near him."

The children in question were quite oblivious to the scathing remarks that were being made about them. Sakura hummed a small tune while a light blush crept across Sasuke's face as he stared at their intertwined hands. The dark-haired boy watched the young girl in front of him; her rose-colored hair streaming out behind her. Suddenly, Sasuke found himself admiring her hair more closely. He smiled noting that her hair smelled of lilies and... was that the smell of sakura flowers?

"Hey billboard-brow! What are you doing showing your face here?" a rather hoarse voice shouted. After removing his nose from Sakura's hair, Sasuke followed the sound of the voice to see a plump looking girl standing defiantly with her hands on her large hips. The girls auburn hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, her bangs swept to one side. Large, chocolate brown eyes glared from under a pair of bushy eyebrows.

"What do you want Masaki? I got stuff to do okay—so why don't you go away!" Sakura sternly said. She immediately released her grasp on Sasuke's hand to bring it up into a balled fist. It was then that the obsidian-eyed boy noticed that Sakura was shaking rather violently.

The charcoal grey clouds swirled above the two groups. The large oak trees swayed when a forceful wind snapped through the village.

"Yeah forehead! Why are here anyways? And with that stupid Uchiha no doubt!" Another girl, this one skinnier than Masaki appeared, her short blonde hair held back by a blue clip that matched her baby blue eyes.

"Leave Sasuke outta this!" Sakura retorted.

"So the cursed one has name does he?" A third girl viciously sneered, her finger pointing at the young boy. This girl had dark brown hair and bright violet eyes. The duo took a step forward, their leader, Masaki, smiling wickedly as she watched her girls advance to the pair.

"Masaki, call your goons off!" Sakura yelled. Her view of the trio was blocked when someone stepped in front of her. Noting the wild raven hair, the young girl mumbled, "Sasuke?"

"You wish Haruno!" The blonde girl shouted.

"You heard her, back off," Sasuke stated blandly, seemingly unaffected by the group.

"What Uchiha? You wanna defy us too? I should kill you for that but I think you're too pathetic to even waste my time." That was enough to break the stoic mask that the surviving Uchiha had been perfecting since the death of his clan. Just hearing those words made Sasuke's blood freeze.

Slumping to his knees, Sasuke began to tell himself that her words were true—he _really_ was weak.

"I don't care what you do to me Masaki but don't you _dare_ talk down to Sasuke! You hear me pig?!" Sakura charged Masaki's group of minions head-on. The blue-eyed girl threw a punch only to find that Sakura had caught her fist in her left hand.

"Too slow Maie! Try this on," a smirk played at Sakura's lips as she pulled at Maie's wrist, her right hand winding back to recoil and make contact with the fair-haired girl's stomach. Maie slouched to the ground, a small whimper escaping her lips.

"Katsura, get her!" Masaki screamed at the violet-eyed girl. Katsura ran at Sakura, her hand drawn back ready to hit Sakura.

"Please Katsura, you don't want to do this," Sakura pleaded with her ex-friend. The two had been the best of friends before the academy but when Masaki, a young girl with self-confidence issues, came to Konoha. She had conned the few girls that had befriended her, into joining her ruthless gang. Sure they were only eight, but Masaki's group had become the most terrorizing group of eight year olds you had ever met... and that was saying something! Sadly, one of Sakura's closest friends, Katsura Nikasuta, had been one of the people tricked into doing Masaki's dirty work.

"Oh yes I do Haruno," Katsura jutted out her curled fist in hopes of striking her old friend. Sakura, seeing her fist coming at her, ducked before sticking out her foot tripping Katsura in the process. The young girl went down leaving just Sakura and Masaki standing. The later of the two stood wide-eyed, her jaw slackened.

"What's the matter Masaki? Afraid that little Haruro's gonna get you?" Sakura sneered at the larger, more formidable looking girl. Masaki stared in awe at the small girl who had just taken down her little "amry". The emerald-eyed girl strode over to Masaki, her mouth in a straight line, her face set in an unreadable expression.

"N-no... I just—I gotta go home!" Masaki declared before hightailing it out of the park. Katsura pushed herself off the ground, extended a hand to Maie, and the two left in the same direction as Masaki.

Sakura raised her fist in victory, a large, giddy grin plastered on her face. She quickly inhaled, her cheeks flushed from the rush of the fight. It was then that she noticed the lack of movement in Sasuke.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sakura knelt down beside the dark-haired boy, her eyes shining with concern. She then whispered again, "Do you need me to get you anything? A doctor?"

"N-no, I'll be okay," Sasuke choked out between deep breathes. It wasn't the fact that he was out of breath, but more so the power that this tiny girl held. She had just taken out two girls nearly twice her size and... more importantly—she had defended him. _Him_. A deemed pathetic weakling that couldn't do anything for his clan. _Him_, a boy who couldn't even stick up for this girl that had showed him unconditional kindness.

Finally, after a few moments of silence, Sasuke spoke up, "I know who I'm going to write my essay on."

"Come again?" Sakura's eyes widened at the statement. _'Paper...? What paper?'_

"My essay for the academy. It's supposed to be on who my hero is," Sasuke stood from his crouching position pulling Sakura with him.

"Your... hero?" The emerald-eyed girl watched him with confusion.

"Yeah, my hero. I know who I'm going to write it on," Sasuke leaned forward, his mouth mere centimeters from Sakura's ear, "I'm going to do it about you," he whispered, sending shivers down Sakura's spine. He then swiftly turned his head, his lips tenderly gracing Sakura's pale cheek.

Immediate warmth spread through the girl's body as his lips made contact on her face. A bright blushed bloomed across her features, her head spinning at the feeling of his lips.

"Oh..." was the only word she could manage to speak. It seemed as if her mouth wasn't connected to her brain.

"So, am I still invited for dinner?" Sasuke asked, a small smile decorating his handsome features. Sakura, still realizing that she was unable to form coherent words, only briskly nodded, her hand grabbing for his. Sasuke chuckled, his hand finding hers, their fingers intertwining. The two kids walked hand-in-hand down the street not caring who saw them.

Sasuke, not one for close contact mentally slapped himself at the prospect of becoming attached to this, in his opinion, rather cute girl.

'_Hey she may be a girl, but she has one heck of a right hook.'_

_-o-_

I thought I'd update quickly as an apology for not being on fanfiction for a little while. It wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be but dumb osteosarcoma decided to rear it's ugly head again.

_Sici-chan beats osteosarcoma senseless and then kicks it to the curb. Taking a bat to it, Sici-chan screams, "Die dumb cancer DIE!!!"_

_Machi-chan comes and sees that osteosarcoma is dead and tells Sici-chan that evil Osteo no baka has passed away. Sici-chan does her fav happy dance before sticking her hand out in a victory sign. Happily she cheers, "Fastpitch and soccer, here I come!"_

Thanks for showing that you guys cared, even if you didn't. (I won't tell XD) Anyways, thanks to Machi-chan, my selfless sister from another mister who decided to take my place for a while. Sadly, you're not needed anymore. -kicks Machi-chan to the curb shouting "don't let the door hit you on your way out!"-

Sony89 : Aw... thank you so much. I know, "Mikoto-chan" yeah, original NOT! I did think, however, that if Sasuke wasn't going to return, Sakura would want to name the child after him. See where I'm going? Anyways, thank you _so_ much! I hope you enjoyed this!

Laura-chan : My humblest apologies for the lack of originality. I'm very glad that you liked it. whew! -let's out breath she's been holding for since she updated-

SakruaSasukelov : I sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry. Is that a good thing?

oh.bonita : Hey, Espanol! Bonita... hmm... -dusts off spanish dictionary- that means beautiful si? Anyways (if I ever ramble a lot, let me know! XD) thanks for the review.

UchihaSasukeluva4eva : Aww... luvvedd this chapter too! -glomptastic- I hope that this was long enough for you... (probably not) n.n

jenny-R : Thanks. You're only on chapter 2 so don't worry... they get longer. Trust me! Well... at least, chapter 4 gets longer. And praise from a fellow 30 Kisses author -blushes like mad- I just might turn your suggestion into reality -wink, wink- XD

Last note (Don't worry, I'll shut up soon XD): Please review. I noticed that there were like 1600 hits to only 13 reviews. Do you guys just not like the story or something? I really want to know what you guys thing... REALLY! I don't want to have to be a review-whore pining for reviews but... you know what will make me feel better after a nice (-coughnotcough-) session of chemo? More reviews!! Please—for my health...? (I'm so ashamed of myself XD)

If anyone is interested in helping me by becoming my every trustworthy beta, then please let me know. I realize that I ramble a lot and boy am I sorry... done now.

Grazie tutti and ciao bello!


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